Jim+Harwell+Learning,+Boredom,+&+Fun+Assignment

Executive Summary
//I conducted a survey of four adults asking them to recall what made learning fun or boring. The survey respondents consisted of a 10 year old school student, a registered nurse, an aircraft mechanic and myself. Interviews were conducted in person and via the telephone.//

What Makes Learning Boring?
//Adults and children alike agreed that learning which contained little interaction between themselves or the instructor made learning boring and unproductive. learning was also found to be boring when a great deal of theory was discussed without seeing the related application.//

The Boring experiences seemed to have a common set of expectations that included Listening (91.8%), Watching (71.6%), Siting Still (73.7%) and Remembering (66.5%).

Another commonality was the set of attributes that were not expected at all. It Boring experiences, learners were __not__ expected to Interact with other learners (70.2%), Interact with some artifact or technology (64.5%), Move around (88.6%), perform or present (78.5%) or think creatively (72.3%).

I dont feel this type of learning situation is not as prevelant as it once was as more and more educators and trainers are realizing the value of interaction among learners.

What Makes Learning Fun?
//Learning appeares to be more fun when students are engaged and learn through a variety of interactive activities, learning through expirementation, and working on an assignment where the learner can see tangible results from their efforts.//

There appears to be a strong correlation between interactivity and learning.

Of 224 respondants, 56.3% enjoyed learning by doing, touching, and feeling. The boring scenario only had 17.5% of the respondants respond that they were required/allowed to interact with an artifact/training aid.

The comments on the fun learning were overwhelmingly in favor of performing a task relative to the training taking place.

I was not at all surprised by the results of this survey. I have been implementing interactivity in my classrooms for years. In personal conversations with trainees I have repeatedly been told "do not treat us as children and provides us with realistic training that will help me do my job."

Implications
//How will what you've learned in this exercise affect the way you design future lessons.//

What was most surprising and encouraging to me was how many of the respondents indicated that their fun experience was in an informal class setting. That indicates to me that adults prefer a non-traditional environment in which they are allowed to bring their life experience with them to assist in the training. A good instructor must respect the work and life experience of learners and design learning that involves the learners and allows them to contribute to the topic.